Contemporary House Design

The Limes

Client:	Private
Location:	Stourbridge, West Midlands
Contract:	Minor Works
Status:	Complete

Contemporary house design incorporates full height glass façade that opens house interior to landscaped garden
Design maximises natural light to interior space whilst increasing insulation quality
Minimalist interior design ensures chic and inspiring spaces
Minimal family disruption during construction period

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Guilliano House Design

Is Your House Making You Look Fat?

That is what author and design writer Allison Arieff asks about the current state of house design. She echoes the suggestion from the AIA Committee on the Environment that perhaps buildings should come with labels like those nutrition labels on food. "If people could see that they might be moving into the architectural equivalent of transfats, would they begin to choose their homes differently?"

Allison's suggestions for lean and healthy housing:

Stop designing for cars."Natural light, floor plans that are conducive to human patterns of use — these sorts of things should be the defining features of homes. Not a garage. There’s almost no viable excuse for failing to create communities with within-walking-distance amenities like playgrounds, cafes and corner markets."

Make Green Normal. "Right now, sustainability feels a bit like something tacked onto new or existing homes as an afterthought — or a savvy marketing tool, as evidenced by the recent spate of green luxury high rises (a term that seems uncomfortable in its own skin). More needs to be done."

Cool Bedroom Lighting Design Ideas

Bedroom Interior Design

This cool Bedroom is looking very beautiful due to the lighting Design IDeas for Modern Interior.In this Bedroom you can feel the lamps effect.For Decorate and light your Bedroom you can use many Bedroom Lighting styles, for example celling lamps,pendant lamps,chandelier lighting,table or floor lighting.You get many useful cool bedroom lighting samples from this post.Take Ideas for making your Bedroom beautiful and Lighting cool Bedroom.

Black and White Italian Bathroom Interior Design Ideas

For Modern Minimalist Interior Design this Picture is the best example of the Black and White Italian Bathroom Interior Design.This picture is suitable for you if you want to make Balck and White Bathroom design.In Black and White colors you may use Oval bath tubs.You also can choose black and white clolour for Toilets.For showing more simple bathroom designs we can use that colour.This is the Great Interior Designing Idea.

Using Dark Blue Colour in Interior Design

Interior Design Ideas

Using Dark and Blue Colour in Interior Design.Interior Design in Dark Blue colour iscalms as well as it creates freshning effects.Dark bule colour is helpful for increase your enthusiasm.Dark blue tones are especially good for small premises. Blue color in interior is also recommended as expanding tone for small rooms. Light blue color of ceiling will visually make a premise higher and more spacious. It is good color for working zone as it helps to organize itself. The walls, painted in blue, are good for the premises, arranged in the southern part of the house, but they are not recommended for the rooms which windows leave on the east and the West, as they will make room dark and gloomy.

Color psychology
Dark blue color creates the precondition for deep relaxation and sense of life. But at the same time it is the color of melancholy. People, who prefer this color, try to keep all in order, they always have own point of view, and they are betrayed to the business.

Positive characteristics: organization, inflexibility, strength of mind.
Negative characteristics: fanaticism, subordination.
In color therapy dark blue promotes restoration of nervous system, helps at absent-mindedness, stresses, frustration of intestines and the strengthened palpitation. Dark blue color extinguishes emotions, reduces arterial pressure.

Dark blue with yellow - pleasure combination
It is better to counterbalance dark blue warm tones. The combination of blue with the gold looks magnificent and noble. Turquoise color is in harmony with pastel tones. Adding of yellow to dark blue will bring some pleasure note into the house. Combination with grey color will make house warm and cozy. The unpainted tree is perfectly combined with all dark blue of all shades.

From office to children’s room
Presence of dark blue tones gives nobleness; therefore dark blue color is often used in classical interiors. Meanwhile it also color of youth, which is ideally entered in hi-tech or a modernist style. Dark blue approaches and for working premises. It is good in those rooms, where conferences and discussions are held. Weakening and calming action of the blue will help you to create cozy interior of children’s room. Blue color normalizes blood pressure. If you want to create sea mood, it is enough to add some blue details into interior. This method is especially good for bathrooms.

ACT NOW TO SAVE!

House prices to hit record this year, but rate of increase to slow, Scotiabank says
Eric Lam, Financial Post
Published: Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Canadian home prices will reach a record high this year, but those expecting the sky-high house price increases of the past decade to continue will be disappointed, a Bank of Nova Scotia real-estate expert said yesterday. "It's time to reset price expectations for the Canadian housing market," Adrienne Warren, senior economist with Scotiabank, said at a real-estate conference in Toronto. "This was an exceptional decade for pricing." Looking at the past 50 years, prices on average rose between 2% and 2.5% each decade. But prices rose an average of 5.2% between 2000 and 2009, she said, which led to the current elevated pricing conditions. As for this year, Ms. Warren still anticipates a strong spring sales market as consumers try to take advantage of rock-bottom interest rates before an expected rate hike by the Bank of Canada in the summer.

INTEREST & INFLATIONARY OUTLOOK

Rate speculaton rises after BoC governor highlights inflation threat
Paul Vieira, Financial Post
Published: Wednesday, March 24, 2010

OTTAWA -- Canadians could face higher interest rates within the next few months, Bay Street economists said Wednesday after Bank of Canada Governor Mark Carney said inflation is "slightly firmer" than expected and that the promise to hold rates at record lows until July was only conditional.

Mr. Carney's comments during an Ottawa luncheon speech - in particular how he emphasized, against a backdrop of improving economic conditions, that his rate commitment was "expressly conditional" - led analysts to revisit their rate outlook, and pencil in the possibility of a move as soon as June.

The central bank's next rate announcement is April 20, followed two days later by its updated economic forecast. After that, there are rate announcements June 1 and then July 20.

The consensus among private-sector economists was for the central bank to honour its pledge and begin rate hikes in July. Now, some aren't sure. Bond traders, meanwhile, Wednesday pushed up yields on two-year notes in anticipation of rate hikes in the coming months.

The governor's remarks "failed to quell the market's speculation that a June rate hike may be in the cards," said Eric Lascelles, chief economics and rates strategist at TD Securities. "In fact, [Carney] goes to quite some length to emphasize the conditionality of the commitment not to raise rates before mid-2010, damning it with faint praise."

In the speech, Mr. Carney said inflation has been higher thanks to "transitory factors," most notably the Olympic Games in Vancouver last month, and a higher-than-expected level of economic activity. Later, speaking to reporters, the governor added first-quarter annualized growth is "looking stronger" than the central bank's projection of 3.5%. That would follow robust expansion of 5% in the final three months of 2009.

The Bank of Canada's last economic outlook, tabled in January, envisaged core inflation to average 1.6% in the first quarter and 1.7% in the second quarter. But in January, core inflation came in at 2%, and last month advanced 2.1% year-over-year.

The central bank sets its policy rate with a goal of hitting, and maintaining, 2% inflation.

The inflation outlook would be updated in April. At that time, the central bank would "take judgments on the appropriateness" of its conditional pledge, the governor told reporters.

"I cannot imagine a lower inflation forecast being unveiled come April," said Derek Holt, vice-president of economics at Scotia Capital, "but I can easily see a forecast for core inflation to remain at the 2% target that would imply earlier than anticipated hikes."

Mr. Holt said the central bank could raise its benchmark rate either in April or June, with an increase of 50 basis points to "punctuate" its seriousness in containing inflation and move away from emergency-level rates.

In April of last year, Mr. Carney cut the bank's key lending rate to its lowest possible level, 0.25%, and pledged to keep it there until the end of the second quarter in 2010. This was in an effort to pull the economy out of a deep recession, and get inflation up toward to the bank's preferred 2% target by mid-2011.

In recent weeks, however, data suggest the economic recovery is moving at a roaring pace, far exceeding expectations.

Another factor that could prompt an earlier-than-expected rate hike is an increase in M3, a key measure of money supply, said Stewart Hall, economist at HSBC Securities Canada. So far, month-over-month growth rates are tracking higher than the pre-crisis 12-month average.

"All that liquidity that has been injected into the financial system, rather than gathering dust, is now beginning to make it into the economy," Mr. Hall said. "And perhaps more than some slight upside on core inflation, it may be M3 growth that may be causing the central bank some angst with regards to their inflationary outlook."

Photo by: rian_ bean

Modern Architectural Design of Emory University Few and Evans Halls, United States by Ayers Saint Gross

Here are the pictures of modern architecture of Emory University Few and Evans Halls, United States by Ayers Gross.

Modern Architecture (Oxford History of Art)

Building the New World: Modern Architecture in Latin America

Forgotten Modern: California Houses 1940-1970

Located in Atlanta, United States, Emory University has been a champion of sustainable design practices for decades. And the Emory University Few and Evans Halls by Ayers Saint Gross architects is also freshman dorms that designed to teach residents about sustainable living. This architectural design is on that truly takes green to heart, from the selection of a sustainable site to incorporating features that reduce water and energy consumption and atmospheric impact. Emory University’s Few and Evans Halls consist of 293 beds inside resident hall unit types and community sizes. They have been designed to house communities in traditional double units and a few single units, each with one Resident Advisor and two Sophmore Advisors per floor. Each community is comprised of two ‘clusters’ with their own study lounge located at each end of the corridor and a common floor lounge located in the middle.

the Decoration of Interior Design lounge of Emory University Few and Evans Halls

Building amenities include an entry foyer, lounge, kitchen, laundry, and hall director apartments. The buildings also provide spaces intended to serve the Emory community at large, including a welcome desk, smart classrooms, offices, demonstration kitchen, student work rooms, seminar and multi-purpose rooms, an academic advising suite and a learning community support suite.

Interior design stairs of Emory University Few and Evans Halls

Elegant Interior Stairs Design of Emory University Few and Evans Halls

Exterior building facade of Emory University Few and Evans Halls

Completed in Autumn 2008, these residence halls are currently under review to receive LEED Gold certification. In order to achieve this, the halls have employed a variety of sustainability strategies. Treatment and detention of storm water occurs on site, using visible components of the landscape design, whilst collected rain and condensate water is used for toilet flushing. Photovoltaic panels power the pumps that send the harvested water back into the building and low flow plumbing fixtures and dual flush water closets have been installed to boost water efficiency. Also included in this project are metering facilities and the display of water and energy use to increase student awareness of sustainability issues.

JUST STAY STRONG

Housing market momentum to carry strong sales volume into 2010: Scotiabank
By Mario Toneguzzi
Calgary Herald
March 23, 2010 9:02 AM

CALGARY - The momentum in the Canadian housing market has carried through to early 2010, with the volume of sales transactions in January and February only slightly below the near-record levels of late 2009, says a report released today by Scotiabank.

And the average MLS sale price in Canada will reach a record level this year.

"Strengthening labour markets are underpinning confidence, while generationally low mortgage rates

— and expectations that borrowing costs will soon be headed higher — are adding a sense of urgency," said the Global Real Estate Trends Report authored by economist Adrienne Warren.

"Milder-than-usual temperatures across much of the country may also have put a bit of spring into the
typically slow winter sales season. Average prices too are testing new highs, both for new and resale homes. A steady increase in the number of listings in recent months alongside a sharp increase in new construction is restoring a much better balance to the overall market compared with the latter half of 2009."

But the report said sellers’ conditions persist in most major centres.

The report said continued strong demand and pricing is expected through the spring, especially given an expected rush of buyers hoping to pre-empt tighter qualifying criteria for insured mortgages effective mid-April as well as the July 1 introduction of the HST (Harmonized Sales Tax) in Ontario and British Columbia.

"However, this should give way to more subdued activity in the second half of the year, as higher interest rates and higher home prices erode affordability. The incentive among builders to add substantial new housing stock should likewise fade as supply increases and prices cool."

The report expects the volume of MLS sales to hit about 510,000 this year, up 10 per cent from

2009 but still a touch shy of the 2007 record at the national level. Average prices are forecast

to increase about eight per cent to a record $345,000 in Canada.

Housing starts are estimated at 190,000, up from 149,000 last year.

Photo by: _Caitlyn

Ultra Modern House in Morganville, New Jersey

Front Perspective

Rear Perspective

Front Elevation

Modern House Design

House Design
The house

Site Plan

These are the plans of the house designed by Jonni, with the assistance of

Rod Shepherd of Earthform (Marysville), who did the working drawings for us.

Ground Floor Plan

Upper Floor Plan

The Duckpond Home Page

Energy Efficient House Design

Features of this Low Energy House Design

The long axis of the house runs east to west so that a large area of glazing can be provided on the north wall.
Minimum glazing on east and south walls and no glazing on the west wall.
North facing windows protected in summer by shade battens or deciduous vines on pergola.
Concrete slab-on-ground with edge beam insulation - acts as a heat sink in summer and a heat store in winter.
Dark ceramic or quarry tiles on floors in living areas.
Dense evergreen planting next to the west wall to provide shade against the hot summer sun and a wind barrier against cold winter winds.
Front door protected from prevailing south westerly winds in winter.
Carport on south side creates a pocket of cooler air for summer cross ventilation.
Metal deck roof with R3.5 batts on ceiling and R1.5 blanket with double sided reflective foil laminate insulation under roofing. The 3 most important concepts are

1. Glass

An energy efficient house has larger windows facing north to capture the Sun's free solar energy.
North facing windows are the most important in your home. They can gain more heat during the day than they lose at night and make your home bright and cheerful.
Design them to admit sun’s warmth in Winter.
Appropriate width eaves can reduce overheating in Summer
South facing windows are also important but not from a heating point of view.
They are useful for admitting natural light and to allow cross ventilation during summer.